Cladistic and biogeographical analysis of Caribbean Disonycha Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae)

The Alticinae is a large and diverse chrysomelid group in need of systematic studies to define species diagnostic characters and to elucidate species relationships. Species relationship hypotheses will greatly contribute to the evaluation of subfamilial and generic status within the group and their relationship with higher taxa levels. Species diagnostics criteria and phylogenetic relationships are contributed with the redescription of twenty five species of Disonycha from the Caribbean basin adding the descriptions of female genitalia and mouthparts. D. jalapensis is a new synonym for D. quinquelineata. A cladistic analysis using a heuristic search of forty adult and six larval morphological characters was performed with PAUP 4.0 for Windows and MacClade was used for character evaluation. A strict consensus tree and three equally parsimonious trees of 189 steps resulted in a monophyletic Disonycha clade including the three former species of Phenrica. D. weisei, D. caurimarensis, and D. austriaca are new taxonomic combinations based on the results of the cladistic analysis. Three terminal monophyletic subclades were resolved: group collata, group fumata, and group discoidea. The groups were supported by both genitalic and general morphology character states. D. venezuelae is a sister group to both group discoidea and group fumata. D. quinquelineata resulted the most basal sister group of the clade with the most vittate species. Third instar larvae were described for Disonycha collata, D. spilotrachela , D. fumata, D. leptolineata, D. alternata, D. quinquelineata, and D. glabrata. A taxonomic key for the Disonycha larvae was constructed. The analysis including larval characters supported species relationships resolved in the adult. cladograms. The area cladogram suggests a strong Central American relationship for the Caribbean Disonycha. All West Indian species share a common origin and are included in the fumata group, except D. marginipenis which is nested within the discoidea group.